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Well, so far it has been an AMAZING day!!

I was able to sleep in till 7:00am today!! It sure felt great!! I woke up and headed straight to LA Fitness for some am cardio. I kicked butt on the elliptical :) I kept my intensity high and burned A LOT of calories! Whoo!! Let's just say I was drenched in sweat by the end.  It feels so great to leave the gym knowing that I did the best that I possibly could. Then I headed home to get ready for work...I made my delicious egg whites!! I seriously STILL crave eggs!! I'm really hoping that this craving lasts all the way until the Ironman. I even stopped by the store on my way to my parent's house yesterday to buy a bunch of eggs...I wanted some sooo bad that I couldn't wait until I got home later that night to eat them. Silly I know...But whatever :)

So yesterday's workout was awesome. It was chest. We did a heart-pumping workout that consisted of 9 different chest exercises. We did three exercises together, back to back. We finished our last set up with 30 sec push up holds....Boy was I shaking!! It's tough to hold a push-up position for even 15 sec after doing all the different chest exercises that we did. Overall, it was GREAT! I was sweating and pushing myself as hard as I could...Can't get much better than that! I finished up with 20 min of interval training. While I LOVE listening to Christian music such as Third Day, Casting Crowns etc, I always listen to a couple specific Rage Against The Machine songs when doing intervals. It's weird since Rage is VERY different from my normal music, but it gets me moving fast for my intervals. It's funny how we all have certain music for different types of workouts.  Overall, I'd have a very difficult time living without music.

After I got home from training I ate some more egg whites mixed with ground turkey breast...delicious.

Basically I'm right on track. I'm busting my butt every single day to make as much progress as possible. While I can't always SEE the progress I'm making, I know that I'm making it. It's such a great feeling to be completely confident that prep is going exactly how it is supposed to go! I'm rockin' it and cannot wait for the show! I'm excited to see all of my fellow competitors as well!! There are so many amazing girls that I have met through competitions and I thank the Lord for putting them into my life. They are all so inspiring and we all create a great support system. Thank You Lord!

Anyways, I better get back to work! I'm heading to the gym after work for back. Whoo! Then back home I go to prep my food for the rest of the week. Then I'll head to LA for a final cardio session today.  I'm adding on another session at night.  This will help me to burn that last bit of fat before the show.

**When you feel like giving up, remember why you held on so long in the first place** - Unknown.

It's too late to turn around now. For all of you Ironman competitors out there...We're ALMOST there. It's going to get tough pushing through this last month of prep, but keep in mind WHY you have decided to compete in the first place. This will keep you moving...Keep you lifting...Keep you running...When you REALLY don't want to. You've come this far...Finish Strong!

Stay Strong. Stay Focused. Let the Lord's Light SHINE!

Diane

Tags: Washington Ironman | Bikini | focus | Chest | cardio

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Cardio felt amazing this morning. I think it's because I had a relaxing and restful night last night.

Yesterday was legs. Amazing! My sister met me at Snap and Pete trained us. We did a variety of combinations consisting of lunges, squats, deadlifts, leg extensions etc...Overall, it was a great workout.  My left knee has started to bug me...Don't really know why.  I'm hoping it will go away soon. Sometimes my knees will be slightly sore after a long hike or a bunch of running, but this is a different kind of pain. All I can do is do as much as I can. I will continue to push myself hard during my training, but will stay aware of when my knee pain is too much.  It's tempting to just push through the pain as hard as I can, yet I don't want it to get worse. I'm completely confident that it will heal quickly and I'll be back 100% soon enough! After my workout, I got a massage and boy did it feel SOOOO good!! I love getting a massage after leg day because it helps with my recovery...Plus it gives me a chance to relax ;)

So I got home at 6:30 last night and literally prepped food quickly and got into bed. I was in bed by 7:00 and just vegged out. I watched CSI (My Favorite Show) and just relaxed with my dogs. I think I turned the TV off and fell asleep by 8:30. Overall, it felt soo good to get into bed early and just relax.  I get so caught up in training that sometimes I forget to rest. Rest in necessary for success, so I'm trying my best to fit it into my schedule. It's funny because even when I'm resting/relaxing from training...my mind just keeps thinking about training. If I'm not at the gym or physically prepping for the show, my mind is always preparing. I visualize being on stage and kicking major butt. I visualize my fit, toned and tight body...Soon enough I will literally stand on the stage that I've been standing on in my mind for the last couple months. Once the Ironman comes, I will be both mentally and physically ready. Once I run through it enough times in my mind, I'll step on that stage feeling as if I've done it a million times already because I have...In my mind.

So anyways, today is Day 2 of no carbs. I'm still feeling great. Once again, a lot of it is mental. As I write this I'm guzzling down my protein shake. It's a simple shake...1.5 Scoops Whey, Water and Ice...Yumm :) Oh the simple things in life that make me happy!

I also packed several containers of chicken/tuna with Spinach. Spinach and Broccoli will be my only carbs this week...and that's still not that much!! But a girls gotta do what a girls gotta do! I'm also going to play with my water intake this week to make sure that I can get it right for the show. As many of you already know, it just takes discovering what works best for YOUR body...Not your fellow competitor's body, but YOURS. So that's what I'm going to do. Once I get a few more competitions under my belt, I'll have an even better idea of what my body likes and dislikes.

Well off to work I go. After work I have a chiropractor appt.  My Chiropractor is in Bellevue and he is AWESOME. Dr. Owens. He has saved me from my headaches that I used to always get. I go see him once every two weeks...He fixes me right up! If you ever need a chiropractor, I would totally recommend him! Anyways, so I have my appointment with him and then off to the gym I go. Today is chest!! Whoo!! I absolutely LOVE lifting chest...It's such a great feeling to get stronger and stronger with every workout. Then I'll finish up with my last bit of cardio for the day.

**They will rise highest who strive for the highest place** Latin Proverb

Strive for your highest goals. Strive for Excellence. Strive for Perfection. While no one is perfect and we'll never reach perfection (Thank Goodness) it will bring you to your fullest potential to try. Keep at it.

Stay Strong. Stay Focused. Let the Lord's Light SHINE!

Diane

Tags: vision | Visualization | Chest | Stagetraining legs | Mindset

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I love having a new routine in the gym.  Yesterday we had a great chest workout.  We did 5 different chest exercises, each with 5 sets.  One of our last exercises was push ups and boy did I barely have anything left.  Even on my knees I could barely do 15!! It's annoying to feel so "weak", yet it feels great to know that you really got all the juice out of those muscles.  I finished off my workout with 30 min of cardio. Overall it was a great time.  We had 6 of us girls rotating through the five different chest exercises.  I don't know how Pete keeps his eye on all of us and keeps us all motivated at the same time, but he does.  I swear he's able to count reps for every person lifting, all at once.  It's magic, I'm telling ya! Anyways, it was a great time.  When we all get together to train, we seem to send energy to each other for intense and focused workouts. Gotta Love It!

Today I did Back.  I was feeling pretty tired for some reason, but don't really know why...One of those days I guess.  BUT! I did push through my workout! I did 5 different back exercises, each with 5 sets.  The reps/set varied depending on the exercise.  I always finish up with the wide-grip pulldown.  I focus on my muscles as I pull down.  I make sure to flex every muscle almost as if I'm doing a front double bicep pose.  This is something Pete has had me do that has been very helpful.

I again finished up with 30 min of cardio...chugged my shake and then off to the grocery store I went.  I've been flying through my veggies, so I had to get mroe.  Plus I had to prep extra food for tomorrow. It's my mom's birthday and I know there's going to be cake and yummy food, so I need to make sure I have PLENTY of healthy food to eat.

Tomorrow AM I'll hit the gym for cardio.  Then it's off to work till about 2:30.  Then I'll make my way to Snap for shoulders!! Whooo!! I LOVE shoulders....I can't wait for the day when I have that amazing "cap".

Enjoy the amazing weather!! Seattle summers are great for so many outdoor activities like hiking and swimming.  It's nice to mix it up and get off the cardio equipment for a change :)

**Note how good you feel after you have encouraged someone else.  No other argument is necessary to suggest that one should never miss the opportunity to give encouragement.** George Adams

Encourage someone at the gym the next time you're there...Maybe even someone you don't know.  There are so many people in gyms who really need that extra boost.  They may not have a committment to a show like us competitors...They might not have that extra competition "push" to get things going in the gym.  You just might be the person to help them stick to their health and fitness goals...

Stay Strong. Stay Focused. Let the Lord's Light SHINE!

Diane

Tags: Chest

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My mom recently found several boxes filled with tons of my notes/pictures/fun stuff from my middle school days.  After middle school, we moved to a different house and many items I packed away were never unpacked.  It was great to go through all of my stuff and “re-live” those days. 

In middle school, I took TONS of pictures and made many collages…I put all of these around my walls, covering almost every inch of wall space.  When we moved, I simply took down all the pics/posters/collages and put them in boxes. Anyways…When I was going through the boxes recently I found my “Dream/Goal Pictures”.  These were printed out pictures of my goals, including the vehicle I would plan on owning in high school/college.  I pulled out a picture of a lifted red Silverado.  When I was younger, all I wanted was a lifted truck and I loved a red Silverado that I once found online. So I printed it out and put it on my wall.  So when I found this picture, my jaw dropped, as I had forgotten that I had this included in my “Dream/Goal Pictures”. I was amazed because my senior year of high school I bought a lifted red Silverado.  To this day I still drive the same truck. Crazy isn’t it?  With days and days spent looking at my goals in Middle School, I actually ended up with a truck VERY similar to the one in the picture.  By having the picture on my wall to look at every day, it allowed me to frequently visualize myself owning that truck.

Finding that picture and examining how closely it resembled the truck that I drive today, I realized how important it is to have a “Dream Journal” or “Dream Board” or even just pictures in odd places around the house of things you want to own/places you want to go/a house you want to buy/things you want to accomplish etc…

Not only will these pictures serve as reminders to keep your dreams alive, but most likely they will force you to visualize yourself in the future with that goal/dream accomplished.

So my plan is to make a Goal/Dream Journal.  This notebook will have all my goals and dreams written out.  I will include my game-plan for achieving each one and will fill it with pictures that represent my goals and dreams.  This will be something that I can reference back to when I’m lacking motivation or feeling discouraged.  All I’m sayings is Dream Big and NEVER lose sight of what you want…Why not? You’ve got nothing to lose J

Well, I just finished my protein shake and my oatmeal. Yumm…I tossed ¼ cup of blueberries into my oatmeal and it tasted SOOOO good.

Today is chest.  I’ll be pushing my intensity to the limits….WHOO! Time to make some progress.

Stay Strong. Stay Focused. Let the Lord’s Light SHINE!

Diane

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Tags: Goals | Dreams | Visualization | Chest

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